Jessa’s door was half open. One ofmysuitcases sprawled on the bed, half full. She stood barefoot at the dresser in a T-shirt and leggings, folding a sweater with shaking hands.
“You’re packing?” I asked, my voice icy.
She didn’t look up. “The city lost its charm.”
I stepped in. She snatched her phone from the charger and moved toward the bathroom, thumbs flying.
“Don’t walk away from me,” I said. “Not without talking.”
She spun. Eyes red. “You mean like at the gala? When Sam was a complete asshole and you said nothing?”
“Sorry, but I was a little blindsided, Jess,” my voice raised, ugly and sharp.
Her phone disappeared into her pocket. Her palm went to her stomach—protective without thinking. That motion caught my attention. It wasn’t obvious, not really, but soon could be if she really was pregnant.
“Is it true?”
“I’m leaving,” she whispered.
“Why?”
“Because I can’t keep pretending this is all some controlled business arrangement, all neat and tidy for you as you like it.”
“What are you talking about?”
She laughed once, brittle, and kept packing. “It was an agreement. The lines were clearly drawn. But I can’t keep up the charade any longer.” Her voice cracked. “Life doesn’t give a damn about your perfectly laid plans.”
My throat went dry. “Just tell me if you’re pregnant.”
She hesitated, eyes glossy. “You don’t get to be angry about this. I didn’t plan for this to happen.” She lifted her chin, met my eyes, and spoke clearly, “Yes. I’m pregnant.”
The floor dropped out from under me upon hearing her confirm it.
For a long moment, I couldn’t breathe. My mouth was open, jaw on the floor, but no air came in or out. I couldn’t think. The only sound was my own pulse roaring in my ears.
Pregnant.
“Withmychild?” I rasped.
“What do you think? Of course.”
One amazing night came rushing back to me, where I let go of all control and let her in the door. “Holly Creek.”
“The day I first stepped foot here, I came to tell you. There has never been the right time.”
“Are you kidding me?” My voice cracked, a bitter laugh escaping. “And the right time was tonight? You could have pulled me aside any second of any day and told me this monumental news.”
“And you’d have put your life on hold to listen?” Her face crumpled, tears escaping the corners of her eyes. “Yes. That’s on me for not telling you right away. But your life was like a speeding bullet train barreling through a mountain pass. You needed a nanny fast. Theo desperately needed someone to pay attention to him. You needed a fake fiancée. My pregnancy was the barrier that could make your train crash, so I kept moving the barrier, hoping there’d be a perfect time to tell you.”
I swore under my breath and raked a hand through my hair. The logical part of me wanted to stop—to reach for her, say something human—but the hit came fast and hard.
For a single heartbeat, I saw a future, a family.
Then it vanished. Fear tore through the illusion—of headlines, the board, the IPO, the image I fought to control. Andbeneath it all, the older fears of marriage and divorce. Of failing. I’d sworn I’d never go there again.
Control. That was the only thing I had left. And Jessa had signed a contract. The businessman in me seized on it like a lifeline.
“Do you have any idea what this means?” I demanded. “We’re going public soon, and now this looks like?—”
